DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, bemoaning the high price his state has paid in the exploration and mining of the black crude from its soil, is spearheading a demand for 50% derivation from the proceeds of crude oil sale in the state.
The governor spoke at the recent convocation of a workshop on Economic Diversification and Enhanced Revenue Generation in the south-south region, held in the Delta State capital of Asaba.
The chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Mr. Elias Mbam, to whom Governor Uduaghan directed his demand, said that his Commission’s goal was to brainstorm with Nigerians on how to diversify Nigeria’s economy in such a way that government will be less dependent on oil money.
The Delta State governor stressed that his government was already working on diversifying the state economy, adding that a better allocation of income from resources mined from within the state will help to improve other sectors of the economy.
Present also at the event were the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Godswill Akpaibo and the deputy governor of Edo State, Mr. Pius Odubu.
Governor Akpaibo called on RMFAC chairman, Mr. Mbam, to speed up the process to see that justice is done by the Niger Delta region in terms of compensation for the challenges of oil exploration, especially as the National Assembly and theJudiciary has already ratified the issue of onshore/offshore oil dichotomy.
Mr. Mbam thanked the leaders present and stated that his commission was fully committed to seeing to the success of the federal government’s initiative to expand the revenue base of the nation through economic diversification.